


His Butler, Ameliorate

by LyricWolfe



Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: #ihatehashtags, AU - Young Ciel, Carl Orff, Ciel is freaking cute, Contract sort-of doesn't exist in a sense?, Fluff, Fluff everywhere, Gen, Hard to explain, I love baby or toddler Ciel, I'm being a nusiance, I'm spamming up the tags now, Nightmares, Or not, SQUEE AND FLUFF, Shakespeare, Some sadness, Squee, What am I doing, Why Did I Write This?, could care less, hahahahahaa you'll never know, i had to find another word for "smirk", i'm done, if you love me, it's fluffier than a feathery pillow, just read it, k - Freeform, lemon-free, little Ciel, lol, nah, not my problem, pianist!Sebastian, quotes, seriously, sorry if you like the lemonade, stairs? they walk on stairs a lot, suck at tags, toddler!Ciel, whatever, you don't even know me, you don't even know my name, you might like it, you should read it, you'd have to read it to get that last tag
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-21
Updated: 2014-11-21
Packaged: 2018-02-26 10:43:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,379
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2649095
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LyricWolfe/pseuds/LyricWolfe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>My young lord, only six years old.<br/>Had another bad dream, you say? This will not do. This will simply not do.</p><p> </p><p>(I suck at summaries but you should read it. :3)</p>
            </blockquote>





	His Butler, Ameliorate

Hell is empty, and all the devils are here.  
-The Tempest, Act I Scene 2

*****

What is it that butlers do?   
Well, I suppose it’s obvious, isn’t it? We cater to the every whim of our masters. We are the paid slave, so to speak. A dog changed to a leash. We follow orders without question, doing whatever we are asked with nothing more than “yes, my lord”. It’s very… vile.  
But I am more than a butler, though a hell of one I may be. 

It was finally the end of the day, the young master put to bed. I confirmed that the rooms had all been cleaned and the manor ready for the next day. I then remembered that the dishes had yet to be washed. I huffed and headed for the kitchen. Candelabra in hand, I quietly made my way down the halls that I had practically memorized over my time of serving the Lord Phantomhive. My red eyes flicked back and forth, looking at the wall pictures that I had already seen a million times.   
When I reached the door, I heard a loud crash from the inside. I carefully set the candles down on a table next to the entryway. I slowly pushed open the door with my gloved and hissed in irritation at what I saw.  
“What are you doing, Baldroy?” I said smoothly. The smoking chef’s eyes shot up, meeting mine dead on. I saw an array of broken plates next to his black shoes. Looking back at him, I stepped into the kitchen. He smiled awkwardly, his hand rubbing the back of his neck.   
“H-hey, Sebastian,” he greeted me. I narrowed my eyes and pointed at a broom in the corner of the room.  
“Clean up. Now,” I ordered. He nodded once and ran for the broom. 

I slipped off my coat, hanging it on a hook next to the door. I pulled off my gloves, tucked them into my coat pocket, and walked to the sink of dirty dishes. The hot water began to fill up and I patiently waited, soap ready in hand. When it had been filled to the brim, I switched off the faucet and dove my hands into the suds. I began to move at a rapid pace to clean the dishes, letting my demonic speed take over. I zipped around the kitchen, drying and putting the dishes away as I went. It was all very tedious.   
I stopped moving just in time to see Baldroy throwing away the last shards of plate into the rubbish bin. I was drying my hands with a towel, watching him carefully. He looked up, his eyes directing towards the sink.  
“Still got those dishes to--” he was cut off as he noticed the dishes were gone.   
“Not to worry,” I informed him. “I took care of it. Get some sleep, Baldroy.” He was taken back by my sudden kind words, but I knew that they were more of a lie than anything else. He nodded once and left promptly. 

Not bothering to put it back on, I flung my coat over my shoulder and made way to my own quarters, which I did not get to see very often. I reached a flight of stairs heading downwards, almost as if to a dungeon. As I traversed down them, I felt the light from the upper floor begin to dissipate behind me. This wasn’t a problem; I can see in the dark.   
I grabbed the handle of the door and pulled it open. Closing it behind me, I kicked off my shoes to who-knows-where and hung up my coat. I moved to my bed and sat down at the end of it. The sheets were perfectly made; I had no use for them. I then turned and reclined back, resting my head on the wood behind me.   
Should I sleep? I didn’t really need it. I’ve gone without sleeping for centuries without a problem. It was more of a way to pass the time if I so desired. Even so, I had things that I had to do when the sun was preparing to rise yet again. More duties to perform. More orders to say “yes, my lord” to. Sleeping may make me late in doing such things. 

I heard tapping on my door.   
My head turned to the side, observing the wooden entryway. I blinked once, listening. The small knocking came again. I huffed once in slight frustration and walked over to the door. Pulling it open, I looked downwards when my eyes were met with empty space. I smiled gently.  
“My lord, what are you doing up?’ I asked, bending down on one knee. The toddler looked me in the eye, lips trembling.   
“Sebastian?” he whimpered. I cocked my head somewhat. The young lord was crying, tears leaking through the bandage-like eyepatch that he wore.   
“Yes, my lord?” I replied. He looked down at my feet.   
“Why aren’t you wearing shoes?” he asked in his small voice. I smiled softly and stood.   
“I was preparing for bed, my lord,” I answered him. “Why aren’t you still in your own bedroom? It’s late, my lord, and you need your sleep.” His lips began to shake again, and six year old Ciel ran towards me. My eyes widened with surprise as I felt him clutch onto my lower leg. His whole body was shaking.   
“My lord, what’s wrong?” I ask.   
“I had a…” he trails off, and I immediately know.  
“Nightmare, my lord?” I finish for him, and he nods vigorously as he cries into my pant leg. I bend down and gently remove his small arms. Scooping him up in my own limbs, I carry him over to my bed. I try to set him down, but his arms are tightly wound around my neck. I attempt to put him down again, but he refuses to let me loose. I was confident that if I had moved my hands away, he would have hovered there in a curled-up position, desperately clinging to me.   
“My lord, may I put you down?” I ask.   
“No,” he replies, his small voice resolute. I sigh and bend down to grab my shoes, which I have to find a way to slip on with Ciel hanging onto my neck. 

As we head out the room and up the stairs, Ciel speaks again, his voice still shaking.  
“Sebastian, it’s so dark,” he whispered. “How can you see where we are going? There might be a spider!” He squeaked out the last word and buried his face into my white shirt. If there’s anything I know, it’s my master’s fear of spiders. Poor confused child. He should fear me more than any spider.  
“Because I am simply--” I began.  
“I know, but it’s so dark,” he cut me off, face still buried into me. “Aren’t you scared? Do you ever get scared, Sebastian?”   
“I only fear losing you, my lord,” I replied, voice calm. Only because all my work would go completely to waste, and I would be left without a meal.   
“Really?” he asked, looking up at me with his bright blue eye.  
“Yes, my lord,” I affirmed as I stepped to the top of the stairs. 

Light had filled the room, the electric lights on the walls setting a dim illumination on the wooden walls. I tried yet again to put Ciel down and get him on his feet, but he cried out in protest and I brought him back up. What a child.  
“My lord, the darkness is gone,” I reminded him as he buried his face into my shirt yet again. “You don’t have to hold on to me. You can walk now, it’s safe.”   
“I don't believe you,” he replied, voice muffled. I cocked my head slightly.   
“Why not, master?” I asked.   
“Because you are a liar,” he replied. I was silent. I sighed once and began to walk again. The gentle sound of my footfall was the only thing to be heard in the hall. 

“I mean... you are, right?” Ciel asked after some time of walking. I stepped onto a set of stairs leading upwards. He pulled his face away from my shirt and looked up at me, expecting an answer. I did not look at him.   
“Yes. And no,” I replied smoothly. “I will never lie to you. But people do lie. Quite often, in fact. It is the fuel to their fires. But I will never lie to you, my lord. So yes, I lie. But then again I do not.”  
“I'm confused,” the toddler replied.   
“You are quite young, my lord,” I explained lightly. “You will understand when you are older.”  
“I'm not young!” he cried.   
“You are much younger than I am,” I gently retorted. Ciel looked at me skeptically. I smirked and finally reached the door I had been looking for. Ciel watched as I opened it slowly. He scrunched his uncovered eye.   
“What is this place?” he asked.   
“The study room,” I replied. Ciel groaned in dismay.   
“I don't want to have an lessons right now!” he whined. “I wanna go to bed.”   
“I can take you back to your room if you'd like, my lord,” I resort. He grips onto my shirt sleeves tightly as he shakes his head in protest. 

I nod once and silently walk towards the corner of the room. The door creaks closed and the room becomes pitch black in the lack of light.   
“Sebastian!” Ciel cries in fear, holding me tightly. I look down at him, my red eyes glowing a little bit in the dark.   
“Yes, my lord?” I ask. He looks up at me, but can only see my eyes in the dark. I smile gently as I sit down on a bench. The small area we are in is slowly illuminated as I light candles on a candelabra. Ciel looked downwards at what rested in front of the bench. Not asking permission, probably an error on my behalf, I removed his hands from my shirt and sat him down next to me.   
“Would you like to explain your dreams to me, my lord?” I ask. Ciel is silent as his young mind considers the idea.   
“You were hurting me,” he explained slowly. “You kept hitting me and calling me names. I kept telling you to stop but you wouldn't. You kept hurting me. You said mean things. You were happy too. You laughed at me when I cried.”  
“That is unfortunate, young master,” I said softly, looking down at him. I watched his lip begin to quiver. I shushed him, holding a finger over his lips. He cried out and smacked my gloved hand away.   
“No, don't!” he begged me, his young voice trembling. "You kept doing that too!"   
“I apologize, my lord,” I murmured, facing forward. I looked down at the object in front of me. I carefully set my hands on the ivory. Ciel looked at my hands.   
“You aren't wearing gloves,” he noted. I nodded once, but said nothing. 

And then, I began to play.   
It's a very human thing, music. But I do rather enjoy it. We do not have such things where I come from. Being the sort of creature I am, I was able to catch on quickly and master the piano.   
Ciel watched my hands closely.   
“You play piano?” he asked, his small voice in awe.   
“Yes, my lord,” I reply. My movements did not waver as I spoke. The sound of notes continued to dance in the air, creating a gentle sound like leaves in the wind. I moved effortlessly across the keys, watching Ciel in my peripheral. His wide, blue eye never left my hands. I smirked at the sight. How could one be so mesmerized? No matter. At least I am fulfilling my contract. I have to save the young lord from his nightmares.

“Sebastian?” he said quietly after some time, my piano playing never ceasing as I slowly melted one song into another, creating a chain of melodies that never stopped.   
“Hm?” I hummed in reply.   
“Why are your eyes red?” he asked. I smiled slightly, letting out a slight hiss of air as I did so. My eyes did not move from my hands. I did not reply to his question. My hands kept moving, playing new songs and morphing them together into sounds I didn’t even recognize myself. Songs I had never heard before, but yet my hands played them. The notes weaved into soft sounds, soothing the young master. Or, at least, that was my intention when playing them. Who knows? Maybe I was actually aggravating young Ciel.  
“Sebastian, are you a magical creature?” Ciel asked, pulling on my shirt sleeve. My hand barely slipped, causing me to miss a note in the song. I quickly moved my hand back and continued to play. He pulled on my arm again, hard as he could. The motion took my somewhat by surprise and my hand was jerked back, hitting discordant keys as it went. I let out a heavy breath, no longer playing, and looked down at Ciel. I opened my mouth to reply.

“I am a demon.”  
His eye widened as he stared at me. I watched him closely, unblinking.   
“You are?” he asked.   
“Yes, my lord,” I reply, voice somewhat blank. His blue eye bore into mine, fear taking over somewhat as he tried to figure me out, something he would never be able to do.  
“Are you going to eat me?” he whispered, his childish voice trembling.   
“That’s aside from the point, my lord,” I reply, avoiding the answer. I had no interest in completely mortifying a six-year-old.  
“But,” he continued. “Mum told me once that demons are bad, and they eat children like me. If you’re a demon, you’re going to eat me.” I chuckled once. I shook my head and placed a finger on my lips, shushing him. He swallowed harshly. I turned back towards the piano, and began to play again. He watched my hands in horror, but did not run away. He seemed to have reached an inner impasse. The music entranced him, so he wanted to stay, but he feared I would kill him, so he wanted to leave.   
But this will always be the case. He will pretend to not fear me, he will pretend to not need me, but he couldn’t be more wrong. He can’t even tie his shoes without me. But he’s afraid of me. And one day, he will know my plans I have for his soul.

But, for now, I will play for the young master.   
“I’m sorry,” he whispered a few minutes later. I widen my eyes to some extent.  
“My lord, do not apologize to me, of all people,” I reply. “A master should not have to say ‘sorry’ to something like a butler.” He looks up at me, confusion in his azure eye.   
“But I’m supposed to say ‘sorry’ when I do something wrong,” he retorts, eye focused on me. I huff a little as I reply.  
“I am below you, my lord,” I hiss, hating the very lie that is in my words.   
“But I should still be nice,” Ciel said resolutely. “Mum always told me to be nice.” I do not reply, but continue to play. Ciel doesn’t look at my hands, but he watches my face. Examining every inch of it, I feel he is trying to decipher me.   
“I’m sorry, Sebastian,” he repeats, voice barely louder than before. “I shouldn’t have said you were going to eat me. That was not nice.”   
Knowing I would get nowhere if I didn’t say it, I replied with, “It’s quite alright, my lord. I accept your apology.” Ciel smiled at me, something I rarely ever got to witness. I looked over at him, eyes drifting away from the keyboard. He had a large grin on his face, happiness radiating from him like light off of the sun. I laugh once, smiling back and look back at the keys. The song slowly morphed into something smoother and softer. A lullaby. 

I played. I played and played. Notes danced in the air, painting it with soft colors and gently bringing it to life. The sound drifted around the room, carefully filling it with music. It was very tender, creating an air of kindness and love, two things which I would otherwise falsify. But here, I almost could feel something human. Something like emotion, but not nearly to any sort of human extent. But I could say, I suppose, that I was enjoying the sound of the piano.  
I felt something on my shoulder.  
I looked over and saw Ciel resting his small head on me. I smirked slightly and pulled my arm out from under him. He looked up at me with a slight glare, but it vanished as I pulled him close. I tucked his small body under my arm and went back to playing. He smiled gently under my embrace and snuggled into my side. He was small, so his presence did not hinder the movement of my arm, which was staying in the upper keys (such was the nature of the song). His small body was very warm against me, contrasting the normal coldness of my skin.  
“Sebastian, you’re cold,” he murmured. I chuckled once and he pushed his ear into my side even more, listening to the resonant sound. He pulled up a knee, half-curling himself into a ball on the piano bench. I played softly, the lullaby flowing gently from the piano strings. 

I heard a small sound coming from the young lord. I looked down at him. His slightly heavy breathing confirms my suspicions. His body is somewhat heavy against me, but I do not mind. I don’t stop playing, however. I play softly, letting him sleep against my side.   
The song transforms into something I’m more familiar with, no longer the impromptu sound that I had been playing for the last hour. I begin to hum quietly along with the music. I feel Ciel squirm a little against me, but he does not wake. I continue to hum, slowly letting off on the sound of the piano, but not ending the song. 

“Ecce gratum et optatum Ver reducit gaudia, purpuratum floret pratum. Sol serenat omnia, iamiam cedant tristia! Aestas redit, nunc recedit Hiemis saevitia. Iam liquescit et decrescit grando, nix et cetera. Bruma fugit, et iam sugit Ver Aestatis ubera. Illi mens est misera, qui nec vivit, nec lascivit sub Aestatis dextera. Gloriantur et laetantur in melle dulcedinis qui conantur, ut utantur praemio Cupidinis. Simus iussu Cypridis gloriantes et laetantes pares esse Paridis.”**

The room becomes filled with my voice alone, light and quiet. I continued to sing quietly as I looked down at sleeping Ciel. His light snores were not interrupted as I gently scooped him up into my arms. I continued to sing in languages that the young human in my limbs could never learn if he tried. I smiled as I remembered the events from earlier. He may have not been clinging onto my neck desperately anymore, but he snuggled up into my chest. His weight held no sway against me, and I carried him out of the music room.   
I silently walked through the halls, my footfall incoherent. My song, however, did not stop. Noticing Ciel’s bedroom door down the way, I held him tightly to my chest, covering his eyes should he awake. I didn’t want him to know that I was carrying him back to his room.   
Singing still, I slowly opened his bedroom door. Closing the entryway behind me, I moved swiftly through the dark bedroom. I reached the side of his bed and carefully bent down. Safely setting him upon the mattress, I began to soften the volume of my singing. He squirmed slightly as my arms left him, but he did not wake. My song turned into a whisper as I pulled the covers over him. I smirked as he snuggled into them. Barely audible, I slowly walked out of the room, closing the door as I left. 

I sighed slowly, flipping the door’s lock before I walked away.

**Author's Note:**

> K, so.  
> Hoped you liked it. Sorry if it was a bit short. Felt short to me.  
> I would like to maybe do something more with this whole 6 y/o Ciel thing, but I have no idea where I would go with that so...  
> Anyway, lemme know what you think. Kudos and Comments are always appreciated. Love you all!  
> Oh. And am I the only one irritated that you can't indent paragraphs on here? It's bugs me so bad. I'm an English nerd and it makes me want to just asdfjkl;adsfjkl;asdfj;lkasdfj;adsf;alskdjf;asd.  
> If you catch mah drift.  
> Okay. Bye bye now.  
> ~Lyric~
> 
> **translation of song available at: http://www.carnegiehall.org/Carmina_Burana_Texts_and_Translations/


End file.
